Dreams come true on track and field
WITH seven races left in this year’s Formula One calendar, Ferrari started their preparations for next year with some hiring and firing.
The Italian team announced that former world champion Kimi Raikkonen would be leaving at the end of this season to be replaced by a rookie from Sauber.
The 38-year-old Finn will be swopping places with 20-year-old Charles Leclerc next year.
Monaco-born Leclerc, who is a driver in the Ferrari academy, posted on Twitter that “Dreams do come true” and “I will be eternally grateful to Ferrari for the opportunity given.”
I wonder if he will feel the same if his new bosses instruct him to let Sebastian Vettel pass him when he is leading a race next year?
Although keeping Raikkonen had been Vettel’s preferred option, Ferrari elected to respect the wishes of late president Sergio Marchionne, who made the decision in June, not long before he died, to promote Leclerc. This decision could backfire if the scarlet team fails to be competitive in the constructors’ title.
This week was the turn of Singapore, a country that personifies cleanliness, to host Formula One. In addition to being a night race that has 1 771 light projectors and 108km of cable installed just for race week (with no load shedding, I must add), this track contains 23 corners and is one of the most demanding ones with temperatures often exceeding 30°C combined with 80% humidity.
The drivers, with their race suits on, experience temperatures of about 50°C to 60°C in the cockpit… an experience that can compete with an extended session in the gym sauna.
Lewis Hamilton’s determination to extend his lead was highlighted in Saturday’s final qualifying session as the Brit took pole position for Sunday’s race, which witnessed another first-lap crash and a safety car being deployed.
The Mercedes driver’s fourth victory in five races has stretched his lead to 40 points over his main rival, who only managed third place.
Surely he can’t be caught now, but I will keep praying that the exhausted Vettel can find some motivation to pressure Hamilton in the next six races.
IT WAS a Wellington thriller on Saturday as the Springboks ensured that it was not to be a repeat of last year when they were taught a rugby lesson by the All Blacks.
The unrelenting pressure from the men in black proved to be futile in the end because the warriors in green and gold held their nerve and came back from 12 points behind to record a memorable two-point away victory against New Zealand for the first time since 2009.
Captain Siya Kolisi and his men will need to take this spirit into the two remaining home games against the Wallabies and All Blacks if they are to have any hope of winning the title.
In the other Rugby Championship game Down Under, it was a massive upset as the Argentinians proved they are a force to be reckoned with when they claimed an away victory against Australia in another close encounter.
THE English Premier League returned to action after a short international break with Liverpool cruising past Tottenham. Could Spurs not have played like this against United a few weeks ago?
A masterclass hat-trick by Eden Hazard took Chelsea to the top of the table on goal difference with a victory against Cardiff. The Belgian’s brilliance will surely have Europe’s top clubs making a few after-midnight calls to his agent.
Manchester United, with a pretty performance in their pink kits, ended Watford’s unbeaten run with a 35thminute goal from Romelu Lukaku, followed three minutes later by a stunning Chris Smalling chest, turn and volley goal.
Smalling’s goal, which ended up the eventual winner after Watford pulled one back in the second half, will leave José Mourinho wondering who his actual strikers are.
Uefa Champions League football gets under way this week. Hopefully Real Madrid will let another team win this year.